Electrical generating and distribution system and apparatus therefor



Feb. 16 1926.

w. s. EDSALL ELECTRICAL GENERATING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 28 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 16 1926. 4 1,573,148

w. s. EDSALL ELECTRICAL GENERATING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Fjl-ed Nov. 28 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \Dr N a Q N ment in- Electrical Generating and. Distrh 'bution Systems and Apparatus Theretor, of which the followingiis-a specificatima generatingfor.

Patented Fee is, 192a irsn srer.s

"WILLIAM s. EDSALLi'OF BOSTON, i/iesse'cnu'sa'r'rs. ASSIGNOR BY Messrs ASSIGN reams, .To eonni'r' Eteernrcria massaenusnms, A COBPGEATION mannraom'omneoonieoaarion, on Boston", or miissaezinsn ree intensities]; GENERATING AND DISTBEBUTION SYSTEM AND Asset-earns THEREFO'FL.

hpplication fiied. November 28, 1924. Serial No. 752,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it 'known 7 that i, l/VILLIA a citizen of the United States residinog at Boston, in the county of Suiioll: and State of Massachusetts, have invented an improve- This invention-relatesto electric powertranslating and protective apparatus there- An electrieswitch such as is used on a large generating and distributing system usually comprises an enclosing casing adapt ed tocontain oil or other'liquid in \YlilCll the -c1rcu1t-1nterrupt1ng arc s termed, and

a gasspace above the oil in which the cases formed upon circuit-interruption may e 29 pand. Such liquids as oil and the vapors thereof, are usually combustible in air and,

when the circuit-is interrupted under heavy load, the arc gases generated may form combustible mixture with the air in the gas space and, under certain and frequentlyencountered conditions, explode, and do damage tothe switch and siirrounding objects.

A transformer or other electrical appa- 30 ratu's may be subjectto similar troubles when theinsulation, for some reason, breaks down and an arcfo'rms beneath the surface of the liquidin which the apparatus is immersed. f a

It has been proposed, heretofore, to maintain the gas space of the switch or trans former filled 'Withan inert gas, or one which does not form a combustil'ile mixture with the insulating flu d Within the casing oi 40 the electrical apparatus; the supply of inert gas being contained :in exchangeable reservoirs of limited capacity. If an inert gas is'relied upon to preventexplosions in the casing, a constant supply of .the'gas must be available and the dili iculty experienced,

heretofore of in intaining' the,- space oat zthe'casing -full of inert gasat all times, and the uncertainty thereof. due'to leaks in the casing, have, up to this invention,

" been barriers in the pathof commercial use of the inert gas filled oasingi',

In electric generatingplants where steam S. Emma,

and distributing systems and both of which are inert as regards is used to operate the prime movers, a large and unfailing" supply of inert gas is al fays 21Yt1lt1bl0 i0' lilling and maintaining filled the gas spaces of the switches and trai'is' ability to support combustion; and th iuaining constituents of'ihc \vasie'turnace so low in combustible 'uses to he neo'li sle.

fore to utilize the \vastefurnace gases or the inert gases resulting from the combustion olil'uel, and circulate them throucghthe gas space oi. an el ctric switch, I

or other electrical apparatus, whereby to exclude harnrlul quantities oi air therefrom and therebyprevent the formation of explosion mixtures vvithin the casing" of the apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to PI'OVMlQ means to cool the initially hot products o'f coinbustion and remove dust and Water vapor and other undesirable products.

before passing the gases into the using of the electrical apparatus.

A furtherobject is generally to improve the construction and operation electric power generating systems and apparatus accessory thereto Fl. 1 a diagrammatic representation of a syst'un enihodyingl' this invention;

Fin". 2 is a modified diagrammatic;yicu' illustrating partici-ilarly a modified ianncr ot efiecting an automatic circulation of pro ,ducts oft combustion through the gas space header lei into. tllQlOWOl end of a stack 16 andfiov; u nva'rdly in-said stack, due to the draft created by the hot column of gases 2Q i,-,. i t is an ob ect o'l' tins invention, theretransformer therein, and ultimately pass into the atmosphere The products of combustion, or the waste furnace gases, are composed mainly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor,

together with such small amounts of carbon monoxide and free oxygen as to be negligible so far as regards their ability to form a combustible mixture with the oil vapor present in the switch or transformer casing.

The steam generated in'the boiler may be used to drive the turbine 18 which, in turn, may drive the generator 20, and the current from said generator maypass into a transformer 22 and thence into a line 24, although the particular method of using the steam is not herein of consequence.

I have herein shown an electrical apparatus comprising an oil-immersed electric switch associated with the system and adapted to be maintained filled with the inert. products of combustion. The switch comprises the casing 26 adapted to be filled to some level a--a with oil or some other arc-quenching liquid which may be com bustible in air but not in the products of combustion A gas expansion space 28 is provided above the oil level and beneath the cover 30.- Stationary switch members 32 extend through the casing and terminate, at their lower extremities,-in contact members 34 immersed in the oil; and a -movable switch member 36 is also immersed inthe oil and isadapted to bridge the contact members.

The switch may be included in the line 24 extended from the transformer 22.

As previously stated, when the circuit through the'switch is broken under heavygas expansion space and unit with the air ordinarily contained therein to form a com 'other end and so arranged that products of combustion will flow continually for so long as fuel is burned, from the header into the gas space. If desired, a butterfly valve 42 may be interposed in said header between its connection with said conduit 40 and the stack, whereby to divert a portion of the products of combustion to flow into said conduit. If desired, theflow of products of combustion into and along said conduit may be assisted by the blower 44.

lVhile I may merely .maintain the gas ensure a thorough sweeping of the gas space witlrthe inert gases. Said conduit 46 may terminate at 47 and discharge intothe atmosphere but I prefer to'extend it to the stack and discharge the gases therein.

For certain purposes, I may place the conduit 40 in direct communication with the lower end of the stack, and the conduit 46 with the upper portion of the stack, as illustrated in Fig; 2 or connect both conduits withthe stack so that a pressure difference exists between them. vAs thus arranged, a

circulation of inert products of combustion will take place automatically through the switch in the direction of the arrows, asthe draft is greater in the bottom portion than in the upper portion of the stack.

Said conduit 40 is preferably relatively large so that the products of combustion may flow at a relatively slow velocity to the switch, and the cinders and dust therein may settle to'the bottom of the conduit; or a dust catching device 48 maybe interposed in said conduit to cleanthe gases passing therethrough. Preferably, also, said conduit is relatively long and has heat-dissipating side walls which act to cool the inert products of combustion, and condense water vapor there- ,in, so that' the gas may be cool and free from moisture, as well as clean as it through the switch.

As thus ar 'anged, an abundant supply of inert gas is constantly available for circulation through the switch or other electrical apparatus and for the reason that the boilers must necessarily be continuously fired in order; to maintain electric energy inthe distribution system.

I claim:

l. The method of maintaining an inert atmosphere in a casing containing an electiical apparatus, which consists in burning fuel and passing the products of combustion into the casing.

2. A casingcontaining an electrical apparatus, a body of combustible fluid in which said apparatus is immersed, and gases resulting from the combustion of material other than said combustible fluid above said flui body.

3. The method of maintaining an inert atmosphere in a casing containing aneieccombustible with the space above combustion in mospheie .in air and an electrical in the liquid, which method consists in burning fueland conducting the gaseous prod-f ing tooceupy the space above the liquid there-in. q

5. The method of maintaining an inert atc'ombustible with air and an electrical apparatus immersed ,in the fluid, which; method consists in burning fueland circulat ng the gaseous products of combustion through the casing above the liquid therein.

6. The method'of maintaining an inert atmosphere in a casing containing a liquid air and an electrical apparatus immersed in the liquid, wliieh method consists.v in burning fuel, cooling the products of combustion and conducting the cooled products of combustion into the casing to occupy the space above the liquid therein.

7. The method of maintaining an inert atmosphere in a casing containing a liquid combustible with air and an electrical apparatus immersedin the liquid, which method consists in burning fuel, cooling and cleaning the products of combustion and conducting the cooled and cleaned products of combustion into the casing to occupy the space above the liquid therein.

8. The method of-preventing explosions in a casing containing a liquid combustible apparatus immersed uctseof combustion into the casing to occupy the liquid and to exclude airfrom said space. Y

9. The method of preventing explosions in a casing containinga liquid combustible in air and an electrical apparatus immersed in the liquid, which method consists in maintaining a supply of gaseous products of fuel from said space.

10. The method of preventing explosions in a casing containing a liquid combustible in air and an electrical apparatus immersed in the liquid, which method consists in burning fuel in a continuous manner and circulating the gaseous products of combustion continuallythrough the space in the casing above the liquiditherein.

' 11. The combination of a casingcontaining aliquid combustible in air and an electrical apparatus immersedin the liquid, ,9.

in a casing containing a liquid,

the casing to occupy the space above the liquid therein and to exclude air I fuel-burning furnace, and means to conduct the products of combustion from said furnace into said casing.

12. The combination of a casing, an electrical apparatus contained in said casin a fuel-burning furnace, the products of combustion from said furnace into said casing.

13. The combinationof a casing, an'electrical apparatus contained in said casing, in fuel-burning furnace, a stack adapted to receive the products of combustion from said furnace, and means to circulate a portion of the products of combustion from said furnacethrough said casing and then to conduct them into said stack.

1a. An electric generating and distributing system having the combination of a. steam-generator, therefor, a stack adapted to receive the proda fuel-burning furnace nets of combustion of said furnace, a casing, an electrical apparatus contained in said casing, and means to circulate a portion of the products of combustion from said furnace through said casing and then to conduct them into said stack.

. 15. The combination of a conduit through which gaseous products of combustion are adapted to flow, a casing, an electrical apparatus contained in said casing, and means to by-pass a portion of the products of combustion in said conduit through said casing.

16. The combination of a casing containing a liquid combustible in air and an electrical apparatus immersed in the liquid, and means to maintain an inert atmosphere in the casing above the liquid including a 'generator of gases inert With respect to the liquid, and means to conduct said gases into said casing to occupy the space above the liquid therein. a

17. The combination of an electric switch having a casing adapted to contain a combustible arc-quenching liquid and 'a gas-ex and means to conduct pansion space above the liquid, relatively I separable switch-members immersed in the liquid, a fuel-burnmg, furnace, and means -to direct the products of combustion from said furnace into the gas expansion space of said casing' 18. The combination of aconduit for the gaseous tion of fuel, a casing, contained in said casing, and means to circulate gaseous products of combustion through said casing including means to connect said casing to said conduit at two points of gaseous pressure-difference therebetween.

an electrical apparatus In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM S. EDSALL.

products resulting from the combus- 

